Caught Bread Handed by Ellie Alexander (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Welcome to Torte—a friendly, small-town family bake shop where the oven is heating up as high as the body count…

Jules Capshaw is still chewing over her husband Carlos’s return to Ashland, Oregon. Could there be too many cooks in the kitchen? Whatever is stirring between those two will have to wait. Despite the Oregon Shakespeare Festival being dark for the winter, the bakeshop is bustling, the dough is rolling, and there’s no rest for the weary…especially when murder is thrown into the mix.

When Mindy Nolan, the owner of a new restaurant in town, turns up dead, the batter at hand thickens. Jules knows that there was bad blood between Mindy and others in town, and tracking down the killer could prove to be an unwelcome treat. And to top it all off, there’s Carlos, who is pleading—with those delicious dark eyes and sexy Spanish accent—for Jules to take him back. Is home where the heart is or will she make a fresh start…and risk getting burned?"

My Thoughts:

This is seriously one of my very favorite cozy mystery series, and I've been waiting impatiently to read this book for a very long time.  Even when I got an early copy I forced myself to wait until closer to the release date because I knew that I would be left wishing for the next book after I finished.  Which is exactly what happened and now I'm going to have to try (try being the key word here) and patiently wait for book five.  I love many things about this series but one of my very favorite things about it is all of the characters.  This series features such a great cast of characters, and I love that we as the readers are getting to know them more and more as we get further in.  I'm not even sure if I read these books for the mystery so much as I read it for the characters.  The author has just brought these characters to life for me.  It almost makes me feel like I could go visit this perfect little town myself.

Although I fully admit that I love the characters the most about these books there are other elements that I love as well.  Namely all of the delicious food descriptions that the author shares throughout the story.  My family knows by now that my cooking skills are iffy at best but it doesn't stop me from wishing that I could cook like Jules.  These books make me seriously hungry and I'm always tempted to try some of the recipes that are included at the end.  The mystery story line in this book was done quite well also although to be honest that was the part I cared about the least.  I was more worried about what was going to happen with Jules especially with her estranged husband Carlos leaving to go back to the ship he works on.  I'm not a huge fan of his (I like Thomas her old boyfriend more) but I knew that this book might change things with their relationship which left me eager to see what was going to happen.  Slight spoiler here but nothing was fully resolved which is why I am really anxious to read the next book in this series.  I love how there aren't easy answers given in terms to her relationship with Carlos.  It just feels more like real life and I appreciate that.  The ending of this book wrapped everything up quite nicely and left me satisfied.  I'm always left wishing for more after these books but isn't that what always happens with a series that you love?

Overall, I loved this book just as I have loved every book in this series.  I really can't recommend them enough but especially to cozy mystery fans.  This is a series that should be read in order just so that you can get the full feel for all of these characters.  Each book could be read alone but I really think the overall experience would be improved if you read them in order.  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  I can't say enough good things about this series or this book!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley as part of a CBB book tour.